Pages

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Hi friends!!!

We have been in Quito for almost a month! We spent the first 2 weeks buying and setting up the 4040 house where all the missionary teams will be living during their training time in Quito... the next 2 weeks we spent helping with the current 40 days program for folks interested in missions and discipleship. We have been tagging along on their "tour" days and helping teach and cook. In addition we have side trips to Ambato for cluster planning for the Ibarra project and soon a trip to Ibarra to scout locations for team housing and the church plant.

Things are going well! I think no small part is the joy of being where God has called us to be. It is cool looking back on all the nervousness we felt before joining Extreme...the nervousness and really worry about the unknown. In fact, we had been told by a non-Christian before leaving CA in 2012 that what we were doing made no sense, it was abnormal, extreme, and illogical behavior to be uprooting one's family in a struggling economy for something uncertain and as dangerous as South American living. That man does not know our God. Our God makes the very best, most perfect plans. While they may not be considered "safe" the way the world thinks, there is no safer place than in the hands of our God.

We are working through lots of details as we eagerly await the arrival of our team. Please, please keep our team and pastors in prayer. We are still in need of 1 or 2 North American young men to join our team. For some reason there is a shortage of male applicants. If you are feeling called or know someone that is called to missions... supply the need, answer the call! This too is in God's hands. We expect God's very best in our team.

As I close this little update I have a request if you are able and willing to help... I am in need of a smartphone, used or new, and it needs to be unblocked/unlocked so that we can use it internationally. The one I was able to bring down has a broken screen and is worsening. Right now I am able to use it but I do need to replace it. If you have an upgrade coming on your phone plan or a smartphone in good condition that is not being used, I could definitely use it! My mom may be shipping a small box in September and I could get you in touch with her. In addition, we need a couple of other items that are very costly here even considering the expense of shipment from the states, or are simply unavailable here... If you are willing to help out with one or more of these my mom is able to ship them to us, or we can coordinate with you directly for shipment... for the most part there is a lot more available here than we found in Paraguay but still are missing a few bits if you are interested in helping...

Costco Items:

Kirkland Adult Multi-Vitamins

Kirkland Adult Vitamin C

2-4 Bottles Gummi Vitamins for Kids

Others:

1000mg chewable Vitamin C -large bottle(s)

Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacAurthur - English Book, Spanish copy, and study book used or new

Twelve Ordinary Men by John MacAurthur - English Book, Spanish copy, and study book used or new

As always, we appreciate your support, encouragement and prayers. I hope you feel as privileged as we do in the service of our Lord!!! Very seriously, consider and start praying about a visit to Ecuador while we are here... Love Extreme Quito 2014 is on the calendar for July 17-29 next summer... In addition, you can find out more about coordinating a separate Short Term group on another date in 2014 or 2015 to Ibarra and help us minister! At all costs, do what the Lord asks of you.

Lots and Lots of Love to you all from The Williams Family in Quito for now!!!

Saturday, July 6, 2013

After a sort of eventful couple of days in the Miami airport ( we expected this to be our shortest trip to South America), we finally arrived in Quito safe and sound, amazingly, with all of our luggage...9 checked bags, 4 backpacks, 2 computers, 1 projector, 1 guitar and a partridge in a pear tree. Flying over Ecuador was beautiful! It really is a lovely country filled with mountains, lakes, and lots of green.

Within about a week or so we had ventured all over Quito buying household goods and beds for what is now the 4040 House on the NMI Work and Witness grounds (thanks John Fischer and Dwight Rich!). The house and grounds are very peaceful and beautiful! Yoan and Astrid Camacarro, our pastor family, is also living here in a casita and so we have really been able to spend some important time with them sharing meals, praying for our team that will be arriving in August, and working on strategies for ministry and team structure.

The Work and Witness House and neighborhood that will serve as the 4040 House for our team and all other teams training in Quito.

Agregar leyenda

Reese and Teddy making fairy houses : )

Quito city views

Buying beds and mattresses! All on one small truck!

the livingroom in our Quito home.

Our first weekend we traveled with Yoan, Astrid and their 8 month old boy Yared to Otavalo and Gualsaqui because Yoan had been invited to preach to the Gualsaqui Church. This town of Otavalo is similar to Ibarra, though we have not yet been to Ibarra (we are planning our trip right now). The community of Gualsaqui is about 20-30 minutes outside of Otavalo via a very rustic and dusty road. We took a city bus from the hostel where we slept the night before and then hired a local pick-up truck to take us all up the mountain as it is rough for taxis. We have a clip of the truck ride below as well as a clip of the beautiful special music the women presented that Sunday. It was such a wonderful Sabbath praising God with these believers. Last Sunday we went to another new community church in Quito that has about 10 people and is growing. It is such a blessing to worship with believers from all over the world. Such a rare treat...

Volcan Imbabura near Araque and Lago San Pedro

Getting to church!

Pastor Yoan arriving in true missionary style : )

Yoan preaching

Truck Ride Clip

Special music from Gualsaqui Church

Helping prepare lunch afterward

Right now we are feeling pretty settled in here for the time being. We are helping teach and cook for the current 40 days group of 10 young men and women and planning to visit Ambato this next weekend to see the Ambato Cluster and their developing church plant as well as nail down some financial details and plans for the Ibarra church plant. Monday we are accompanying the 40 days group to "La Mitad del Mundo", the equatorial center of the earth, then later visiting Shell, Ecuador with them as well (which is the site of the End of the Spear events). We have a lot going right now even as we wait and pray on our teams arrival and the super cool blessing being that even as we have given much up to be here, our cup overflows.

I would ask special prayer for our team as they are fundraising in their communities. In addition, we really need 1 or 2 more North American males to join our team. This need is quite urgent as time is short for planning, fundraising and the Visa process. It would be an amazing blessing to receive a young man that already speaks Spanish as he would not be required to be to the field until November for training in Colombia right before our deployment to Ibarra. Please pray for God's call on exactly the right young men and women and that they would be faithful to say "Yes, Here I am Send Me". We as a church, are in desperate need of men who are willing to stand up and lead.

Lastly, Love Extreme Peru 2013 is underway and the short term volunteers are rolling in tomorrow in Arequipa, Peru! Pray for this amazing opportunity to expand the kingdom of God! The harvest is plentiful!!!

We Love and appreciate you who support us through your prayers, encouragement and funding. We are so blessed to be serving God in this way...we hope some of you will be able to join us at some point and share the experience as well!